Golf game



July 2, 1929.

D. R. SCANLAN GOLF GAME Filed Oct. 29, 1927 3 sheets sheet l FAIRWAY ZQ YDS INVENTOR BY 2y W -ATTORNEY5 Den/17's RScan/an July 2, 1929. I Q L I 1,719,240

GOLF GAME Filed Oct. 29, 1 27 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Den ('5 RSmrz/aa INVENTOR mmkm ATTORNEYS y 2, 9 D. R. SCANLAN 1.719.240

GOLF GAME 7 Filed Oct. 29, 192'? 5 Sheets-Sheet '5 i ll Dehmls 2?.5ran/M INVENTOIR mam M.

ATTORNEYJ Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES DENNIS a. SGANLAN, on NEW Your, N. Y.

GOLF GAME.

I Application filed October 29, 1927. Serial No. 229,569.

The present invention relates to games of the kind in which the'implements' used in playing an outdoor game may be utilized in playing a simulation of said game in a restricted space, and specifically relates to a game simulating golf.

An object of the invention is to provide such a game which will offer an accurate representation of the game of golf.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game in which the various varieties of golf clubs necessary to play a round of golf may be utilized.

A further object of .the invention is to provide a game in which the muscular power and skill that would have to be employed in playing on the golf course may be used, thus providing the very valuable advantage that the player may keep his muscles in training.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game in which muscular effort may be combined with accuracy as in playing the game of golf.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of simple construction easy to manufacture and possessing no working parts liable to get out of order or wear out. a

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for playing a golf game which may be set up in any convenient locality without necessitating any special alterations to the structureof the room in which it is erected or floor or green on which it is stood.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game in which the various conditions met with in playing golf are represented so that the player has an opportunity of familiarizing himself with the use of the various clubs such as drivers irons and puttors, and obtain practice in the strokes necessary to make a variety of shots.

Further features of the invention will hereinafter appear and be specifically pointed out in the. appended claims.

In the annexed specification, a preferred embodiment of the invention is described and illustrateiil, but it is pointed out that I do not. intend. to limit the scope of the' in- I the length drive is reckoned.

the screen showing the pitching board in extended position.

Fig. 4 is a broken elevation of the rear of Fig. is a detailed view of the readily detachable means for holding the straps.

Similar numerals indicate similar parts in the various figures of the drawings.

The apparatus is intended to enable a reproduction of the three different kinds of play into which the game of golf may be roughly divided, namely, drivin recovering from bad lies by pitching, an putting on the putting green.

The apparatus comprises a screen of canvas or other suitable material against which the ball is driven, a pitching board to be used in the play to be made in getting on the green, and 2. putting green or part provided with a hole into which the ball must be run by putting.

- In Fig. 1, 1 indicates the canvas screen 2 indicates therolled up pitching board and 3 the putting board. The canvas is marked to represent the characteristics of a golf coursein that the fairway or direct line between holes isarranged between flanking portions re resenting the rough which may be on" a gel course, meadow gorse bushes or other land diflicult to play f om. The fairway is divided into a number of subdivisions numbered to represent different lengths of drive and actually do represent the relative amount of force that would have to be exerted in making an equivalent drive on a golf course, this being effected by providing the subdivisions with flaps 4 sewn along the upper edge but releasably connected to the canvas screen along its other edge, and requiring a greater amountof force to be disengaged from the canvas in accordance with the value or length of drive represented by such division. The means for providing for this increase of force necessary to disengage the flaps is an important feature of the invention, and will hereinafter be more fully described. Y

It will be observed that the markings of the subdivisions run from at the bottom of the sheet 'to 250 in about the center of the sheet and thereafter decrease again to 50 at the top of the sheet. The reason for this' is that balls=hit above the middle of the sheet would correspond to a skied drive,

wnlcn, of course, would not cover, more than about the distance indicated, while a ball driven low would run along the'ground and of the fairway. To prevent balls being driven over the top or past the edges of the screen, side flaps 5 are projected outwardly and forward of the screen, these flaps are marked out of bounds, and a netting 6 is arranged over the top of the side flaps and I top of the screen.

One 'method of providing for .varying the amount of resistance to displacements of the flaps 4 is shown in detail in Fig. 5 in which a'strap 9 is shown attached to the flap 4 and'held in place by an adjustable clip 7 mounted on the sheet 1. The flap may be provided with one of such means for each 50 .yards to be awarded, that is a flap representing 50 yards would be provided with only one of said straps, whereas, one representing a drive of 250 yards would be provided with five.

In order to prevent a player from scoring from hitting a flap marked 250 yards with force which in actual practice would be insuflicient to carry that distance, all the straps attached to that flap must be disengaged to score the full number of yards, the player being allowed to reckon a distance of 50 yards only for each strap disengaged' The player willthus not score more than 100 yards, should he disengage only two straps of the 5 arranged on the flap counting 250.

- In the form shown, which is suitable for arranging a short distance from a wall or similar backing, no means need be provided to prevent the balls passing beyond the screen as of course may occur through a strong drive striking the lowest flap 4 which i -is provided with only one strap. Such a drive would count only 50 yards because such a low drive would result in the ball rolling and jumping along the ground, and

would not usually result in a greater distance being obtained than that shown. It would,

of course, be easy to arrange a longitudinal strip to extend the flaps at the back and to provide this strip with turned in edges to prevent balls hitting it from going further. Also, if'desired, the foot of such a covering stripcould be brought forward so as to return the balls to the players. This is one of many obvious modifications of the. ap-

paratus, and no further description thereof need be given.

The arrangement for providing resistance this reason I have shown an adjustable clip by which Wear of the strap 9 may be C0111- pensated for. The strap may be of leather and a strip of metal such as bronze shaped to form a U-shaped clip may be mounted on the canvas sheet to releasably grip the strap. The clip may be adjusted by means of a stem 9 passing through an aperture in the outer arm of the strip and bearing on said arm and having a threaded engagement with an offstanding stud projecting from the other arm of the clip, the pressure of the arm 10 upon the strap 9 being adjusted by screwing the stem 8 upon the stud.

hen the number of the yards to a green have been nearly played, the players usually have to pitch onto the green to get as near the pin as possible. To represent this feature of the game, use is made of the pitching board or post 2, which is shown in extended position in Fig. 3. This board in the form described ismarked on a strip of material arbitrarily divided from 1 to 12. The strip is carried when not in use in a rolled up posit-ion as shown in Fig. l in a container arranged at the top of the driving board on a spring roller or may be merely pulled over from the back of the sheet. In this'latter construction, the strip might be utilized to prevent balls from being driven through the sheet 1. In place of this board, the pitching post forming the subject of my copending U. S. application No. 211,737, filed Aug. 9, 1927, might be used. A player is required to hit the pitching board in a division carrying a number corresponding to the number player trying to negotiate the bunkers commonly arranged around the green.

When the players are all on the green, the putting stage is reached, and for this part of thegame any putting board or mat may be utilized. I prefer to utilize the board shown in my copending application No. 211,726 filed Aug. 9, 1927. This board 3, Fig. l. is formed as a circular mat of considerable diameter, say about four feet divided into a number of concentric divisions, and provided'with a center plate 14 of conical section in which is arranged the hole. The players may place their ball initially anywhere in the outer zone, and proceed to endeavor to run the ball into the hole. An additional interest is lent to this part of the game by the fact that the slope of the center plate causes the ball to run to a greater or lesser degree according to the distance up the slope of the plate it has been driven.

In the form of apparatus shown in the drawings, the screen is mounted on a vertical that the-wing portions ean be .hinged to the portion carrying the sheet and the whole frame folded into very small space This, of course, is of advantage and particularly so when the game is-carried on the ship,

since several of these games can be carried. in no more space than 1s now occupied by boards and implementsofdeck games commonly played. The frame can be furnished with feet 12, which would serve to hold it in position, or the deck can be provided with sockets into which the ends of the uprights can be dropped. The construction of the frame, of .course, lendsitself to ready and simple erection and holding in place, if necessary, by guy ropes so that the board might be left in erected position during rough weather with: which object in view, the straps can be covered by individual canvas flaps to protect them against moisture or spray. It will be realized that-the game can be used for driving practice irrespective of weather since the balls can be teed off from tees which would hold the balls in position in any but the heaviest seas without interfering with its being driven. This isa very great advantage as compared with the golf games in use at present in which the golf ball is liable to roll erratically even in calm weather and which cannot be played at all if the ship is moving considerably.

The method of playing the same is as follows:

The number of yards from each hole to the next may be decided upon by the players or may be marked up for instance on one of the side sheets or on score cards hung on the side sheets.

Presuming the distance to be 300 yards from the driving olf 'point to thefirst hole, the player would proceed as follows From an indicated spot, which might he say 6 yards from the front of the sheet and from' which all drives are made, he would select a point on the screen which he would judge to be Within his power to strike. Supposing that he was a moderate player able to depend on an accurate drive of 150 yards. he would select the 150 flap, and drive.

The retaining devices for the flap should have been adjusted by the deck steward or similar official conversant with the requirements of the game, that is to say, able to set all the devices to require the same degree of force to disengage the straps.

Itis highly improbable that the player would succeed in striking the flap squarely in the center. This central zone is indicated by the oblong in which is printed the number of yards allotted to the flap and the number of straps to be disengaged. Presuming that the ball strikes the flap slightly to one side, the strap on that side and probably the down strap would be disengaged, but

not" the strap on thehoppos'it-e sideqjg l-Iitt: would, therefore, be credited with a drive'of" yards. The ball being returned and assuming him to be playing a soloround, he would drive again, perhaps this time at the 300 yard flap. This flap is provided with two down and two side straps, and we will assume that the player again fails to strike the center of the flap, but strikes a lower corner, disengaging two flaps and again being credited with 100 yards, in driving the third time, we will suppose again at the 200 yard flap, we will assume that he pulls a little to the left and instead of hitting the flap lands in the rough and is credited with 100 yards thus completing the distance to the first green in three strokes. He now pulls down the pitching board and pitching from a predetermined point which might be say four yards, he endeavors to hit the division marked 3, as we are assuming that the player is a. golfer of only moderateability, we will assume that it takes him two shots before he hits the division. He is now reckoned to be in putting position and his score so far is five strokes. He places the ball on the putting board on the outer zone and, again at the second attempt, succeeds in running the ball up the inclined center plate to the hole bringing his total number of strokes to seven for the first hole. The same procedure is repeated for any number of holes desired to be played. It will be realized that the game just described is a close approximation of an actual game of golf, the greatest accuracy being required to hit the flaps so as to score the full number of yards. In accuracy of drive both in elevation and direction entail ing loss of distance as in the actual game. Loss of strokes due to landing iirdiffi'cult rough is represented by awarding a much lesser distance to a player hitting the screen to either side of the fairway although the elevation may be correct. A variety of irons may be used in hitting the proper division of the pitching board since this division will correspond with the number of strokes taken for the hole. and will vary in vertical position accordingly. It might also be required that a player hitting the rough must play his next shot with an iron. Accuracy in putting is den'ianded by the provision of the sloped center plate, it being no easy matter to run a ball up the dead center line as must be done to run into the hole, a slight deviation to one side or the other imparting a roll to the ball which will carry it below the top of the plate and back on to the putting board. As before state-d, various modifications of the apparatus may be readily effected to suit particular conditions and the apparatus illustrated is given merely by way of one example. F or this reason, no more detailed account of the construction of the apparatus is herein given and no specific rules have been laid down since these may be varied to suit the players. For instance, a'ball hitting between two divisions, and thus just failing to knock out any straps, might be allowed to count as having disengaged the straps nearest, to said line of division.

It will further be realized that parts of the apparatus may be used without other parts; A game might for instance be played by utilizing only the driving screen and a putting board or thedriving screen might be used alone, for developing skill 01' as a means for maintaining length and accuracy of drive.

The screen itself maybe formed of any suitable material other than canvas such for instance as eocoanut matting, but I prefer toform a screen of canvas as this material. affords an excellent surface on'which the various markings may be painted;

' I may for instance paint in approximately trueperspective a view of a golf course including bunkers, streams, trees and the like, thereby keeping the players eyein training in that he will choose his length and direction in order to avoid such obstacles, whereas without such a graphical reminder of the actual conditions existing on a golf course, he might develop driving power at the expense of "his judgment. Also, of course, other natural objects may be added such as may be expected to occur in the scene.

A screen so painted has valuable psychological effects in providing atmosphere to which the golfer is accustomed, resulting in a greater feeling of satisfaction and pleas- ,ure in playing the game.

screen being fold While theiconstruetion of a single screen v has been specifically dealt with, it would, of

course, be obvious that a number of such screensmay be used, nine for instance, each differently painted to represent a different fairway, approach and green of a golf course in which case a substantially accurate simulationof a nine hole golf course can be\obtained. As the screen may be constructed to fold flat, such. a nine hole golf course could be placed in a restricted space such for instance as in the ,mnasium of a ship, the e d fiat during the time the gymnasium is, being used for classes.

A further modification with reference to the screen might be to utilize a screen or screens, which screens would be painted to accurately r'epresent a typical golf course,

" ticular portion of the screen.

It is to be understood that the construction of the modified screen need not be altered, that is to say the portion of the screen representing the fairway would be divided into a pluralityo'f flaps, but these flaps would be marked with the number of yards awarded for disengaging each flap on the back thereof. The object of this form of screen would be that since the golf course would be represented in true perspective, a player would play for the hole just as he would on a golf course, and would not be aided by driving for a particular point indicated on the screen.

It will be understood that the rules of the game may be framed as desired as to the length of consecutive holes, penalties for driving into the rough or high or low or for driving over the pin; This last, of course, could be easily determined by the number of flaps disengaged, for instance, if a player disengages' three flaps which is equivalent to a drive of 150'yards and the distance required is only yards, he could be required to play again to drive 50 yards by disengaging any one flap, or he could be penalized one stroke for each 50 yards over the required distance.-

It is believed that enough has been said to show that the golf apparatus of my invention provides a much more accurate representation of an actual game of golf and one-in which players use regulation balls and clubs to play in exactly the same way as if. they were playing an actual game. They may also play this game against scenery such as they would be seeing when playing 9 on an actual links.

hat I claim isi 1. A golf game apparatus comprising a screen against which the ball is played with golf clubs, said screen being marked to rep- 100 resent features of a golf course, and to indicate the distance awarded for hitting various portions of said screen, certain of said portions being provided with flaps permanently attached along their portion of periphery to the screen and detachable means for maintaining said flaps in closed position, and means for adjusting said detachable \means. i a

2. A golf game apparatus comprising a screen against which a golf ball is played with golf clubs, said screen being marked with a vertical strip to represent a fairway,

a plurality of flaps arranged in the fairway portion of the screen and detachably eonnected tosaid screen, said; flaps representing different lengths. of drive, the detachable means associated with each flap being arranged to require a greater effort to disengage them the greater the distance represented by the flap, further portions of said screen marked to represent other portions of a golf course, said other portions having values, assigned to them, a board against which a golf ball may be pitched and a board on which putting is effected, and a frame for supporting said screen in substantially vertical position.

3. A golf game apparatus comprising a screen against which the ball is played with resent the features of a golf course and to screen against which a ball is played with golf clubs, said screen being marked to repindicate the distance awarded for hitting various portions of said screen, a plurality of flaps permanently attached to said 'portions of the screen, and detachable means for holding said flaps in closed position, the score being reckoned by the number of detaching means released and the flap struck by the golf ball.

4. A golf game apparatus comprising a screen against which a ball is-played with golf clubs, said screen being marked to represent the features of a golf course and to indicate the distance awarded for hitting various portions of said screen, a plurality of,

flaps permanently attached to the rear surfaces of said portions of the screen, and readily releasable means for maintaining the flaps in closed position, said releasable means being so arranged such that the efiortnecessary to release said means is greater'in por-' tions of the screen for hitting which a greater number of yards is awarded.

5. A golf game apparatus comprising a golf clubs, said screen being provided to represent a vertical central fairway and vertical side portions, the fairway being composed of a plurality of releasable portions of different scoring values, means for releasably holding said portions in a' set up position, and an indicla carryin pitching board formed of a sheet of fiexlb e material adapted to be releasably arranged over the central fairway supported near t e top of the screen, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A golf game as claimed in claim 5, wherein a spring roller is mounted near the top of the screen to which one end of the flexible pitching board is adapted to be secured so that it may be readily arranged in a position in front of the fairway or in a closed portion or behind the screen so that when in the latter position it will serve to stop balls driven through the detachable portions of the screen. 1

In testimony whereof I have atlixed my signature.

DENNIS R. 'SCANLAN;

ortion of the screen and 

